Motion picture machine



Jan. V3, 1933. F.J. WATTS ETAL 1,393,189

OTIOHr PICTURE HAQHINEv Filed Aug. 2?, 1928 s sheets-sheet 2 VENTO-2M;

- BY D ATroRNEY Jan.`3, 1933. F. J. WAT-rs ETAL 1,893,189

MOTION PICTURE MACHINE Filed Aug. 27. 1928 5 sheets-sheet '3 se, v z2.

ATTORNEY rlPatented Jan. 3, 1933 FELIX J. WATTS,

OE BaoNsoN, Aim enanos WITTENIIYEE, OE DETROIT, 'MIQII'IGAN MOTION PICTURE MACHINE Application led August 27, 1,928. Serial No. 302,242.

Our invention relates to a motion picture machine and anobject of our improvements is-to simplify and cheapen the construction and render the actionsmooth, positive` and certain. v

We secure this obj ect in the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying our invention, the casing being cut away to showthe interior construction.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the apparatus being turnedr around to show the reverse side.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the saddle or rider used for holding the strip in engagement with the sprocket wheel.

Figure 4 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the tension adjusting apparatus.

Figure 5 is a detail elevation, showing the frame for the picture secured in place.

Figure 6 is a plan and edge view of a smallery frame that may be adjusted to correspond to a narrower strip.

Figure 7 is a detail view of a disc for changing x the color of the picture thrown /upon the screen.

Figure 8 is a detail. view showing the separrted ends of two strips that are to be united.

lgu

re 9 is a section on the line IX-IX, Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 10 is a section on the line X--X, 35 Figure Figure 11 `is a detached view of the driving shaft, looking at the side of the same.

Figure 12 is an end view of the driving shaft.

44o Figure 13 is a face view ofone of the toothed discs for limiting the motion of the sprocket wheels. v

Figure 14 is a view, similar to Figure 13, of the other of the two discs.

Figure 15 is a faceview of the detent.

. Figure 16 is an edge view of the detent.

Figure 17 is a detailed elevational view,

showing of the sprocket wheel.

I 5 Figure 18 is a'face view, and

the detent in place upon the'face Figure19 an end view of the track or guide for the detent.

lFigure 20 is a view like Flgure 17, the two discs being shown in place and cut vaway within their peripheres to show the position of coacting parts.

Figure 21 is a view like Figure 20, except that only one disc is shown in position.

A is a cylindrical casing in which ,is located 4the reel E for the lm strip, from which the strip is drawn and then returned to said4 casing at another portion thereof.

B is the lantern and C the lenses therefor. D 'is the casing for-the intermittent screen. F is the screen and'G indicates the gear wheels through. which motion is imparted to the screen F. H is the housing for the mechanism.

The film strip is indicated by the letter S and the adjacent arrows indicate its direction of motion.

'zov

2 is the base resting upon the casing A A and supporting the apparatus hereinafter described. p

3 is an electric motorby which motionY is imparted to the movable parts of the apparatus. 4 is a shaft leading from the motor 3 and provided with a worm 5,'the threads of which engage the teeth of a worm wheel 7lupon a, shaft 8 that extends at right ang es on the end of the shaft 4 opposite tothe motor 3 adapted to cause a circulation of air through or around thelantern B' to keep the same cool. r

9 is a gear wheel on the shaft V8. 11 is a to and beneath the shaft 4. 6 is a fan shaft extending parallel to the shaft 8 and resting in stationary, bearings. 10 is a gear wheel on the shaft 11 its teeth engaging the teeth of the gear wheel 9. 12 is a sprocket wheel on the end of the shaft 11, adapted to engage and actuate the film strip. 14 is a gear wheel upon the shaft V14a located centrally of the casing H and extending parallel to the shafts 8 and 11. 13 is an idler` connecting the wheels 10 and 14. 15 is a gear wheel, its teeth meshing with the teeth of the gear wheel 14. 15a is a shaft upon which the gear wheel 15 is keyed. 16 is the gate. 17 is a knob on the outer end o f a shaft 18,

keyed upon a shaft 23, extending across the` housing H, the `teeth of the gear wheel 22 f mesh' with the teeth of the gear wheel' 21.

24 is a sprocket wheel upon the shaft 23, upon which it is adapted to turn to a limited extent. 28 is a torsion spring connecting the sprocket wheels 24 with the shaft 23.

25 (Fig. 2) is-a guide roller for the strip. 26 is a second guide roller pivoted to the lower end of-avertically reciprocable rod 26a. 265 is a spring yieldingly urging the rod 26a to the upper limit of its` travel. 26e is a lug extending laterally to the rod 26a. 60 is an electric switch interposed in circuit with the motor 3 and lamp B. vTheswitch 60 is adapted to be opened by contact of the lug 26o.

The operation of the apparatus as so far described is as follows:

The motor 3 being set in operation, drives the shaft 8 through the worm wheel 7, actuating by means of the gear wheel 9 the gear wheel 10 to rotate the shaft 11 which actuates the gear wheel 14 through the idler 13. The rotation of the gear wheel 14 turns the shaft. 15a by means of the gearwheel 15. The rotation of the wheel 14 actuates the gear wheel 21 which imparts its motion to the gear wheel 22 and shaft 23. The wheel 14 also actuates the screen F through a train of wheels G.

15b is a sprocket wheel uponthe shaft 15a.

Before the apparatus is set in motion the film strip is led from the reel E through.

a tension slot a, over thek sprocket wheel 12 with the teeth of which its marginal slots engage; then upward turning in ya loop at the top of the machine and engaging the teeth of the sprocket Wheel 15b; then down through the gate 16 and engaging the roller 20; then passing over the sprocket wheel 24; then upward over the roller 26; then beneath the rollers 25 and engaging the sprocket teeth of the wheels 27; then passing downward i through a slot a2 into the cylindrical casingv A. The shaft 18 is turned by theknob 17 vdistance apart to engage the slots in a narrower film strip.

Over the strip engaging the sprocket wheels 15b and 27 we place a lightspring l impelled saddle or rider 43, shown 1n perspective in Figure 3, in order to hold the film in engagement with the sprocket teeth. Said rider 1s struck-up from light sheet metal and has depending lugs 44, in' which are apertures to fit upon a stationary arbor to pivot the rider. 45 is a lug turned up from a side edge of an opening 46, vformed Yin the rider 43. There is a lug upon both sides of the opening 46 and there is a shaft v 48 pivoted in said lugs. 47 are triangular plates pivoted on the shaft 48 at one of their corners and bearing rollers 49 joining the other corners to said plates at a distance apart about equal to lthat of two sprocket teeth.

When the narrower film-.strip is used upon.

the flanges 50, the plates 47 are turned downward through the opening 46, as shown 1n broken lines in Figure 3, so vthat they shall engage said narrower film by means of the lrollers 49 and hold the'rider 43 away from the larger discs. The sprocket wheels are turned at the same average angular velocity, but the motion of the sprocket wheels 15b, 12 and 27 are uniform, while the motion of the-sprocket wheel 24 is intermittent, as hereinafter described.

The disc 42 (Fig. 7 is rovided with a series of apertures 42a, 42 420 and 42d, having a colorless glass in oneand different colored glassI in the others. This disc is located on. the inner endvof a shaft 42f and may be-moved by a knob 42e to bring either one of said apertures in the path of projection of the picture, so as to give the required color to the picture upon the screen.

The intermittent movement of the sprocket Wheel 24 is secured in the manner hereinafter described and illustrated more particularly in Figures 10 to 19.

29 is a guide-way struck up of sheet metal and screwed to an end face of the sprocket wheel 24, so as to extend diametrically across said face. 30 is a detent fitting and adapted to reciprocate in the guide 29. YThe detent 3() may also be made of sheet metal and have the tooth 31 struck up from the material thereon, near one end of said detent. 30a is an opening formed through the detent 30, having its ends 'opposite each other horizontally, bounded by semi-circular walls.

`Longitudinally of the detent, the opening 30a is lof the width equal to a diameter of the circle of the wall of a horizontal end, but transversely of the detents the aperture 3.0a'is of greater extent. The shaft 2 3 is provided with an eccentric 32 which engages in the opening 30a, so that any relative angu lar motion thereof yshall actuate the detent 3() in the guide 29.

33 is a stationary sleeve `surrounding the `Shaft 23. 34 is a toothed di sc keyed or splined upon the end of the sleeve 33. 35 is a second disc u ponthe sleeve, adapted to slidelongip mamas The discs 34 and 35 are each provided with fourk teeth 34a and 35a and are so located angularly upon thev sleeve, that the teeth 35a are midway between the teeth 34a.

The operation of the intermittent motion of the sprocket wheel 24 is as follows:

The tooth 31 engages the radial face of a tooth 34a of the disc 34 to hold the sprocket wheel 24 stationary. The shaft 23, being rotated by the gear wheel 22, turns in the sprocket wheel 24, torsioning the spring 28.

The turning of the shaft 23 relative to the sprocket wheel turns the eccentric 32 in the slot a and forces the detent to a position at which the tooth 31 is disengaged from the tooth 34a. The sprocket wheel 24 is then turned by the spring 28 much faster than the shaft 23v and eccentric 32, so that the tooth 31 is drawn inwards by the relative motion to engage the next one of theteeth 34a. turnin of the wheel 24 draws the film-strip throng the gate against the frictionalresistance thereof and positions the next picf ture.

The disc 35 is located at a position out of the path of the tooth 31 when the standard sized film is used. If it is desired to use the narrower film-strip with a larger number of intermittent motions the disc 35 is moved up against the 4face of the disc 34, so as t0 bring 4its teeth 35a in the line of travel of the tooth 31 so that the teeth of both of the discs 34 and l35 will be engaged as above described, alternately, and there will be eight instead of four intermittent motions in each revolution of the sprocket wheel 24'. Thus the two discs 34 and 35 taken together constitute a ratchet mechanism adjustable as to the distance between its teeth, coacting with said pawl to define the motion of said revoluble part and their teeth constitute spaced engaging portions for stopping' and releasing said revoluble part, and moving the disc 35 into enof the latter, as shown by broken Ilines in gaging position, or removing it, adjust. the distance apart of the engaging portions.

The detent 30 constitutes a pawl and the discs 34 and 35 a ratchet in a pawl and ratchet mechanism. l'

40 (Fig. 5) is a frame having an opening 40a adapted to the standard sized film and havin its 1 upper corners cut away at 4Gb. 41 (Fig. 6) is an auxiliary frame having an opening 41a therein adapted to the picture of the narrower films. The frame 41 has its upper corners turned lover at 41b`tov engage the cut away corners 4Gb of the' frame 40 tov hold the former inplace against thesurface Figure 5 When a strip of film has about run through the apparatus a button S2, (Fig. 8) aords a resistance to its motion and v`the' strip'is The film strip and extending parallel to the end.

edge, and S4 is a similarly located socket secured to the end of another strip. The latter is slid over the former to join the two strips. If desired the arrangements of the parts may be such that the device for joiningthe filme strips may offer enough resistance to the motion of the strip to tension the same and break the actuating circuit as above described. y

The roller 26, .rod 26a and spring 26?) serve to prevent any slack in the film-strip between the sprockets 24 and 27.

The outer ends of the slots a andc a2 are open so that the strip S may be slid in edgewise. Thus a strip may be removed and replaced= at any time during its progress through the machine;

` What we claim is:

1. In combination with an apparatus of the kind described, a strip actuating wheel consistin oftwo discs parallel and spaced from eac other and tw'o intermediate discs of less Vdiameter than the first named discs, a rider adapted to engage over the strip upon lthe discs of greater diameter and having a partadapted to be Aadjusted to engage over a strip upon the disc of lesser diameter, said rider consisting of a plate cut out to form an aperture between its edges and a part adapted to en age the discs of lesser diameter pivoted to sald rider to swing through said aperture. 2. 1n an apparatus of the kind described, having a gate and a film passing through said ate, a revoluble part adapted to actuate said lm through said gate, meansfor yieldingly actuating said partl to revolve the same, a catch-and-release mechanism `adapted to cause an' intermittent angular motion of said part of determined extent and a piece, formin a part of said mechanism, adjustable at wi l to ca'use an angular motion of a different extent.

' 3. In an apparatus of the kind described,

the combination of a film-strip-moving part, a second part, a resilient means between said parts through which the irst named part is actuated by said'second part, a piece adapted to be intermittently engaged with and disengaged from the'first named part to cause a definite langular motion of the same and` mechanism actuated by the relative motion parts through whichthe first named partis' on said part transversely thereof, said shaft actuated by said second part, Aand means lcoritrolled by the relative positions of said -parte for releasing and stopping therst named part and means consistlng of a stop adapted to be inserted at will into the line of travel of said releasing and stopping means to secure a desired extent of angular motion of said part.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described,l

the combination of a film-strip-moving part, asecond part, a resilient means between said parts through which the first named part is actuated by said second part, a pawland ratchet apparatus mechanism adapted to be actuated by the relative motion of said parts to operate said pawl and ratchet apparatus to cause a determined extent of angular motion of said first partand anadditional ratchet adapted to be moved at will into position to be .engaged by said pawl to vary the extent of said angular motion.

6. In an apparatus of the kind described, a strip-actuating wheel consisting of two discs parallel and spaced from each other and two discs of less diameter, located be- 'tween and parallel to the first named discs,

a rider adapted to engage over'the strip upon the discs of greater diameter, a part upon .said rider adapted to move toward and away from the centers of said discs between the first named discs and to engage overa strip upon the'discs of lesser diameter for the purpose described.

7. In an apparatus of the kind described, a revoluble part adapted to move the film` strip, a shaft, a pawl adapted to reciprocate on said part transversely thereof, said shaft having an eccentric engagement with said pawl whereby relative movement of said part and shaft shall reciprocate said pawl and a ratchet adapted to be engaged and released by said pawl.

8. In an apparatus of the kind described, a revoluble part adapted to move the filmstrip, a shaft, a pawl adapted to reciprocate having an eccentric engagement with said pawl whereby relative movement of said part the combination of a sprocket Wheel, a shaft extending coaxially through said wheel and angularly movable relative thereto, a spring connecting said wheel Vand shaft eccentrically, arpa-wl adapted to reciprocate diametrically on said wheel, and an eccentric engage mentbetween said shaft and awl, vsubstantially as and for the pur ose escribed.

11. In an apparatus o the kind described, the combination of a sprocket wheel, a shaft extending coaxially through said wheel `and angularly movable relative thereto, a spring connectin said wheel and 'sl1afteccentrically, a pawl a apted to reciprocate*diametrically .on said wheel, and an eccentric engagement between said shaft and. pawl, a stationary stop adapted to be engaged by-said pawl when moved to an outer position by said eccentric, and a second stop angularly spaced from theV first stop and adapted tobe moved into and withdrawn from the travel of said pawl in said position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof, we sign this specification.

CARLOS WITTENMYER.

FELIX J. WATTS. 

